For the first time, the World Cup qualifiers will be played in the same format as the Nations League (NL). The Swedish women play in the A-division and to directly qualify for the World Cup in Brazil, Sweden needs to win the group.
In Tony Gustavsson's first championship qualifier as Swedish national team captain, the national team enters the group as the first seed, but to take the direct place they need to defeat European Championship semi-finalists Italy, Denmark and Serbia.
“A lot of video”
Now it's just a matter of getting right into video analysis of the opponents and starting to put the planning down. Now that you know, you're itching to get started, says Gustavsson at a digital press conference.
Sweden has faced Denmark three times in 2025: Two wins in the NL and a 1–0 victory in the European Championship. The national team also had Italy in the NL, and it ended with a win and a draw. Gustavsson is positive about facing the countries again.
We have a lot of video, a lot of fresh material from playing against these opponents before and quite recently. Rather, I see a stimulus and look forward to starting to prepare. That's the feeling that takes over the most, he says.
We shouldn't think that it's an easy qualifying group. We should have respect for all opponents.
Regardless of whether the national team comes second, third or fourth in the group, Sweden will have the chance to play in the playoffs to reach the championship.
“Try it out a little”
In November-December, Sweden will play the bronze medal match in the NL against France. The national team captain believes that the national team now has a good opportunity to use the double match as a "preparatory window".
It's not just an isolated bronze medal match in the Nations League, but we can dare to look ahead to a World Cup qualifier and test some things in such a window. So I'm really looking forward to that.
53 teams are participating in the European World Cup qualifiers – the most ever on the women's side – and the teams are divided into eleven groups of four and three groups of three.
The qualifiers begin in March.
The World Cup qualifiers are played like the Nations League (NL) – where the national teams have eleven four-team groups and three three-team groups in three different divisions.
Sweden plays in the A-division.
If Sweden wins the group, the national team will be directly qualified for the World Cup in Brazil.
If the national team finishes second or third in the group, they will first face a team from Division C in a playoff. If they win, they will then face a team that either came last in Division A or from Division B in a decisive doubles match.
If the national team finishes last in their group, they will be relegated to the B division for the next edition of the NL, but they will still have a chance in the playoffs. Then they will need to win two doubles matches.
The six group stage matches will be played in March, April and June next year.
The first round of the playoffs is scheduled for October 2026, while the decisive playoff round will be played in late November-early December.
In total, Europe has twelve places in the World Cup, one of which is through an intercontinental playoff.
Division A
A1: Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Serbia
A2: France, Netherlands, Poland, Ireland
A3: Spain, England, Iceland, Ukraine
A4: Germany, Norway, Austria, Slovenia
Division B
B1: Wales, Czech Republic, Albania, Montenegro
B2: Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Turkey, Malta
B3: Portugal, Finland, Slovakia, Latvia
B4: Belgium, Scotland, Israel, Luxembourg
Division C
C1: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein
C2: Croatia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Gibraltar
C3: Hungary, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Andorra
C4: Greece, Faroe Islands, Georgia
C5: Romania, Cyprus, Moldova
C6: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia
